Port Authority joins shale marketing effort to bring brokers, jobs

Apr. 25, 2013

Written by

Brian Gadd

Staff Writer

ZANESVILLE — Only a handful of Utica Shale drill sites have been identified in Muskingum County, but the Zanesville-Muskingum County Port Authority is hoping to change that and bring more jobs to the area in the process.

The Port Authority is participating in a joint shale marketing effort with the Cambridge-based Eastern Ohio Development Alliance, in hopes of attracting land brokers for energy companies.

Two energy companies already have permitted wells in Muskingum County  Anadarko has two wells in Meigs Township, with one of those producing, and Enervest has a permitted site in Madison Township.

Port Authority Executive Director Mike Jacoby said he recently attended a brokers event in Pittsburgh with other EODA representatives  the group includes members from 16 Eastern Ohio counties such as Muskingum, Perry, Morgan, Noble, Guernsey and Coshocton -- and he networked among 27 brokers.

Were targeting brokers in the Marcellus Shale region who have clients maybe interested in working in the Utica Shale, Jacoby said. It was a good group to network with.

The EODA group also has developed a section on their website showing existing properties and other marketable assets in the region, such as office space opportunities.

Another networking event is planned for May in Columbus, he said.

In other Port Authority news, work has begun on rail projects in the EastPointe Business Park, including staking out utility lines for possible relocation.

Jacoby said a meeting was conducted two weeks ago at the business park with representatives from general contractor Armond Cassel, signalization engineer Progress Rail, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, the Ohio Rail Development Commission and Ohio Central Rail.

The Port Authority has been planning to create a third rail spur and extend rail service to the Job Ready Site for several years. The project also will include a second road crossing in the park.

The ORDC has pledged funding toward the signalization at the main line crossing, a control box for crossings and half of the labor costs of the project, which is being designed by Progress Rail.

Also, the Port Board briefly discussed the JEDD maintenance agreement with the city and county, and Jacoby said an update meeting could be convened in a month or two.

The advisory committee will revisit the schedule for road maintenance in EastPointe and any other projects that need to be conducted.

The city and county previously agreed to provide $50,000 each for five years toward resurfacing all of the roads in the business park. The Port Authority obtained a loan in 2012 to pay for the resurfacing of the main entrance to the park, Eastpointe Drive, and paid it off using proceeds from the property sale to Halliburton.

Jacoby said it was important to maintain the local investment in infrastructure and job creation in the business park, which has attracted Dollar General, the Bilco Co., Avon, Tilley Pressure Testing and now Halliburton.